History of the town of Arietta

1841 History

The following is taken from "Historical Collections of the State of New York," by John W. Barber and Henry Howe New York: Published for the Authors by S. Tuttle, 194 Chatham Square, 1841. Transcribed by Martha Magill.

ARIETTA was erected in 1836, from Lake Pleasant. It is about 55 miles long, with an average breadth of 6 1/2. Pop. 209. The site designated for the county seat is at Piseco, in this town, a fluorishing village on the Piseco lake.

1860 History

The following is taken from the "Gazetteer of the State of New York; Embracing a Comprehensive View of the Geography, Geology, and General History of the State, and a complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village, and Locality with Full Tables of Statistics," by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y.: Published by R. Pearsall Smith, 1860. Transcribed by Marcia Buffett.

Arietta¹ was formed from Lake Pleasant, May 13, 1836. A part of Long Lake was taken off in 1837. It extends from the south west border northward nearly across the county, a little west of the center. Its surface is much broken, and it contains a great number of wild, picturesque lakes. Of these, Racket and Forked Lakes, in the northern part, and Piseco², in the south, are the most important. The principal streams are the west and south branches of Sacandaga River. A considerable amount of lumbering is carried on.³ Piseco, formerly a post office, and once a busy village of some 250 inhabitants, is now nearly deserted, and contains but 4 families.⁴ There is no post office in town. The first settler was Shadrack Dunning, at the east end of Piseco Lake, in 1827, and David Woolworth, in the south part, about the same time. Rensselaer Van Rensselaer, of Albany, settled in 1834.⁵

FOOTNOTES
1. Named by Rensselaer Van Rensselaer, in honor of his mother.
2. Named by Joshua Brown, a surveyor, from an Indian chief of his acquaintance. It is about 5 miles long and 1 to 1 1/2 wide. It is one of the most picturesque sheets of water in the county. The mountains around it are over 500 feet above its surface.
3. Henry Devereaux, some years since, began lumbering on a large scale in the southern part and built a tram railroad some 8 or 10 miles long. He also spent many thousand dollars in buildings and machinery; but the enterprise proved a failure.
4. In 1838 Andrew K. Morehouse, an extensive landholder, built at this place a gristmill, sawmill, machine shop, a large hotel and boarding house, and some half dozen dwellings. Strong inducements were offered to settlers, but they became dissatisfied with the title, and one by one dropped off. In 1843 he again tried to retrieve his fortunes by the formation of a joint stock company and induced some 200 settlers to come in. Some returned the same day; others remained a week or a month.
5. Eli Rood, of Saratoga, settled on the beech flats south east of Piseco Lake; R. Dibble and Seth Whitman near the foot of the lake; and Zadok Ross, from Clifton Park, south of the lake. The first birth was that of Miss M.M. Dunning, Aug 28, 1829; the first marriage, that of Amos Dunning and Ann Eliza Plummer; and the first death, that of Seth Whitman. A school was taught by Ann E. Plumer, in 1833.

1872 History

The following is taken from the "Gazetteer of the State of New York; Embracing a Comprehensive Account of the History and Statistics of the State with Geological and Topographical Descriptions," by Franklin B. Hough, Albany, N.Y.: Andrew Boyd, 394 and 196 Broadway, 1872. Transcribed by Martha Magill.

ARIETTA - named from the mother of a land proprietor, was formed from Lake Pleasant, May 13, 1836. A part of Long Lake was taken off in 1837, and a part added to that town in 1861. It extends from the s. border across nearly two-third the co., and a little w. of the centre. Its surface is much broken, and it contains a great number of wild, picturesque lakes. The principal streams are the w. branch of Sacondaga River and its tributaries. A considerable amount of lumbering is carried on. Piseco, formerly a p.o., and once a busy village of some 250 inhabitants, is now but a hamlet. There is no p.o. in town. The first settler was Shadrack Dunning, at the e. end of Piseco Lake, in 1827, and David Woolworth, in the s. part, about the same time. Rensselaer Van Rennslaer, of Albany, settled in 1834.²
Footnote 2: Eli Rood of Saratoga, settled on the beach flats s.e. of Piseco Lake; R. Dibble and Seth Whitman near the foot of the lake; and Zadock Ross, from Clifton Park, s. of the lake. The first birth was that of Miss M.M. Dunning, Aug. 28, 1829; the first marriage, that of Amos Dunning and Ann Eliza Plummer; and the first death, that of Seth Whitman. A school was taught by Ann E. Plummer, in 1833.